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Adjunct instructor salary
Average adjunct instructor salary
$52,030
How much does an adjunct instructor make?
The average adjunct instructor salary in the United States is $52,030. Adjunct instructor salaries typically range between $32,000 and $83,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for adjunct instructors is $25.01 per hour.
Adjunct instructor salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Adjunct instructors earn the highest average salary in California.
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Where can an Adjunct Instructor earn more?
Adjunct instructor salary estimates from across the web
Average adjunct instructor salary by state
The highest-paying states for adjunct instructors are California, Washington, and New York. The lowest average adjunct instructor salary states are Illinois, South Dakota, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for adjunct instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $66,246 | $31.85 |
| 2 | Vermont | $63,710 | $30.63 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $66,135 | $31.80 |
| 4 | California | $69,711 | $33.51 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $55,702 | $26.78 |
| 6 | Michigan | $59,233 | $28.48 |
| 7 | Washington | $66,832 | $32.13 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $56,575 | $27.20 |
| 9 | Iowa | $53,145 | $25.55 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $58,722 | $28.23 |
| 11 | Oregon | $52,661 | $25.32 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $55,730 | $26.79 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $58,939 | $28.34 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $54,365 | $26.14 |
| 15 | Alaska | $51,678 | $24.85 |
| 16 | Nevada | $52,395 | $25.19 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $58,006 | $27.89 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $57,462 | $27.63 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $48,715 | $23.42 |
| 20 | Delaware | $54,316 | $26.11 |
| 21 | Virginia | $49,615 | $23.85 |
| 22 | Alabama | $48,523 | $23.33 |
| 23 | Louisiana | $48,191 | $23.17 |
| 24 | Ohio | $49,243 | $23.67 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $55,158 | $26.52 |
| 26 | Indiana | $47,002 | $22.60 |
| 27 | Utah | $48,653 | $23.39 |
| 28 | Montana | $49,086 | $23.60 |
| 29 | Colorado | $47,611 | $22.89 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $47,403 | $22.79 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $47,228 | $22.71 |
| 32 | Maryland | $49,456 | $23.78 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $50,971 | $24.51 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $45,266 | $21.76 |
| 35 | Idaho | $49,542 | $23.82 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $47,807 | $22.98 |
| 37 | Maine | $48,073 | $23.11 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $45,280 | $21.77 |
| 39 | Arizona | $47,163 | $22.67 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $45,691 | $21.97 |
| 41 | Texas | $42,804 | $20.58 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $41,308 | $19.86 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $45,645 | $21.94 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $41,800 | $20.10 |
| 45 | Georgia | $40,410 | $19.43 |
| 46 | Florida | $42,987 | $20.67 |
| 47 | Kansas | $43,414 | $20.87 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $41,632 | $20.02 |
| 49 | Missouri | $42,685 | $20.52 |
| 50 | Illinois | $42,057 | $20.22 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $40,635 | $19.54 |
Highest paying cities for adjunct instructors
The highest-paying cities for adjunct instructors are Bakersfield, CA, New York, NY, and Newark, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bakersfield, CA | $70,761 | $34.02 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $66,428 | $31.94 |
| 3 | Newark, NJ | $66,222 | $31.84 |
| 4 | Detroit, MI | $59,483 | $28.60 |
| 5 | Philadelphia, PA | $57,273 | $27.54 |
| 6 | Milwaukee, WI | $55,758 | $26.81 |
| 7 | Newark, DE | $54,332 | $26.12 |
| 8 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $53,427 | $25.69 |
| 9 | Eugene, OR | $52,973 | $25.47 |
| 10 | Anchorage, AK | $51,557 | $24.79 |
| 11 | Richmond, VA | $49,438 | $23.77 |
| 12 | Athens, OH | $49,188 | $23.65 |
| 13 | Baton Rouge, LA | $48,330 | $23.24 |
| 14 | Durham, NC | $48,139 | $23.14 |
| 15 | Glendale, AZ | $47,334 | $22.76 |
| 16 | Cheyenne, WY | $46,271 | $22.25 |
| 17 | Bradenton, FL | $43,669 | $20.99 |
| 18 | Lawrence, KS | $43,435 | $20.88 |
| 19 | Houston, TX | $42,968 | $20.66 |
| 20 | Saint Charles, MO | $42,804 | $20.58 |
Adjunct Instructors are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Adjunct instructor salary details
An adjunct instructor's salary ranges from $32,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $83,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an adjunct instructor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $32 |
| Average | $52,030 | $4,336 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
Highest paying adjunct instructor jobs
The highest paying types of adjunct instructors are adjunct professor, adjunct faculty, and adjunct lecturer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instructor, Adjunct Faculty | $52,225 | $4,352 | $25.11 | 37,739 |
| Adjunct Faculty | $83,069 | $6,922 | $39.94 | 26,791 |
| Learning Center Instructor | $33,129 | $2,761 | $15.93 | 59,893 |
| College Instructor | $50,584 | $4,215 | $24.32 | 41,053 |
| Program Instructor | $42,380 | $3,532 | $20.38 | 92,369 |
| Laboratory Instructor | $49,931 | $4,161 | $24.01 | 63,100 |
Top companies hiring adjunct instructors now:
Which companies pay adjunct instructors the most?
Adjunct instructor salaries at Kern Community College District and Health Alliance are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average adjunct instructor salary at companies like Holy Name Medical Center and New York University are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kern Community College District | $143,119 | $68.81 |
| 2 | Health Alliance | $138,628 | $66.65 |
| 3 | Holy Name Medical Center | $131,076 | $63.02 |
| 4 | New York University | $128,812 | $61.93 |
| 5 | Yeshiva University | $117,806 | $56.64 |
| 6 | Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego | $116,201 | $55.87 |
| 7 | Massasoit Community College | $111,885 | $53.79 |
| 8 | The Cooper Union | $108,916 | $52.36 |
| 9 | University of California | $102,579 | $49.32 |
| 10 | Oregon Health & Science University | $98,082 | $47.15 |
| 11 | Bon Secours Community Hospital | $92,715 | $44.57 |
| 12 | University of California-Berkeley | $91,955 | $44.21 |
| 13 | Rutgers University | $90,522 | $43.52 |
| 14 | Saint Louis University | $87,325 | $41.98 |
| 15 | 4CD Live | $85,827 | $41.26 |
| 16 | New York Institute of Technology | $84,811 | $40.77 |
| 17 | UC Santa Barbara | $82,468 | $39.65 |
| 18 | University of Detroit Mercy | $82,406 | $39.62 |
| 19 | University of Rochester | $81,403 | $39.14 |
| 20 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | $80,341 | $38.63 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Adjunct instructor salary trends
The average adjunct instructor salary has risen by $5,596 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average adjunct instructor earned $46,434 annually, but today, they earn $52,030 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for adjunct instructors over the last decade.
Compare adjunct instructor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average adjunct instructor salary over time
Compare adjunct instructor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Adjunct instructor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $52,000 | $25.01 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $50,800 | $24.40 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | $50,600 | $24.34 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $49,700 | $23.90 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $48,900 | $23.50 | +3.6% |
Recently added adjunct instructor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast College of Health Sciences | Adjunct Instructor | Seneca Falls, NY | 06/29/2025 | $93,915 |
| Association for Institutional Research In The Upper Midwest | Agriculture Equipment Technology Adjunct Instructor | Appleton, WI | 06/29/2025 | $93,915 |
| Get It Recruit-Educational Services | Adjunct Instructor-Remote | WFH | Fremont, NH | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Get It Recruit-Educational Services | Lab Assistant Adjunct Instructor-Remote | WFH | Lafayette, LA | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Lamar Institute of Technology | Adjunct Instructor-All Departments | Beaumont, TX | 06/28/2025 | $104,350 |
| State of Virginia | Sports Management Adjunct Instructor | Tazewell, VA | 06/28/2025 | $39,340 |
| West Coast University | Adjunct Instructor I, Dental Hygiene | Anaheim, CA | 06/28/2025 | $88,259 |
| Ivy Tech Community College | Mechanical and Electrical Adjunct Instructor | Tell City, IN | 06/27/2025 | $93,915 |
| Global Medical Response | EMS Adjunct Instructor | Riverside, CA | 06/27/2025 | $62,610 |
| Global Medical Response | EMS Adjunct Instructor | Happy Valley, OR | 06/27/2025 | $62,610 |
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